The #F1 Bar Exam: 18 July 2013

Last week’s question(s): Can you name the cars, drivers and the race in which the photo was taken? Can you also tell me what event during the race played a part in deciding the drivers world championship that year (bonus if you know who won it).

The answer(s) I was looking for was:The cars in the photo was the Ligier-Renault of Philippe Alliot, the Williams-Honda of Nigel Mansell and the McLaren-TAG of Alain Prost and was taken during the 1986 Australian Grand Prix held at Adelaide. The photo was taken just after Mansell passed Alliot when his left rear tyre exploded.

Leading into the last race of the season, either Mansell, Prost or Nelson Piquet could have won the championship. The exploded wheel put an end to Mansell’s race while Piquet was called in to pit, from the lead of the Gran Prix, as a precautionary measure (one of Keke Rosberg’s rear tyres also exploded).

For Piquet to win the championship he needed to to finish ahead of Prost and with his pit stop he was dropped 15.484s behind prost with two laps to go. He managed to close to within 4.205s at the end of the race but the win went to Prost and in doing so he secured his second of four championships that day.

Well done to Andy, Cassius, Anijs, Sid and Christian.

This week’s question(s):Can you name the drivers in the photo below, the race in which it was taken and who won the race?